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Subject analysis working group findings (it's more interesting than this subject line suggests)
by Tali Boardman 30 Jan '26

30 Jan '26

Kia ora, [Apologies for cross-posting. Please feel free to share widely.] The ALA Core Subject Analysis Committee’s Working Group on $v Retention has released its report of research findings and recommendations deriving from the Group’s literature review and library worker survey, which garnered 699 responses, representing multiple library roles, library types, and library communities worldwide. The full report with findings and recommendations may be read here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/12sYgYhVSyM1nObY-QeH-VySjYHxoSQTEj2xwBFT… The Group’s work began in March 2025, amid library community concerns about the Library of Congress’s (LC) January 2025 announcement that they would be discontinuing use of form subdivisions ($v) in subject headings, in favor of only including Library of Congress Genre/Form Terms (LCGFT). A form subdivision is the section of a subject heading that specifies that a topic appears within a specific form or media, for example the ending parts of the following subjects: Berlin (Germany) $v Guidebooks; Dinosaurs $v Juvenile fiction; Mendieta, Ana, $d 1948-1985 $v Catalogs; Miniature books $v Specimens. Some key findings from the Group’s research: * No user studies to date demonstrate that removing $v improves patron search or recall. * Patrons primarily do basic keyword searches, and examine the first few search results screens and individual records, valuing subject context and glanceability. Having found records of interest, patrons click on the subject strings (including those with $v) to find other materials. Faceting and advanced searches are not generally utilized by patrons. * 59% of survey respondents report that omitting form subdivisions would make patron searching more difficult (as opposed to 14% that say it wouldn’t), and 57% assert that $v omission would impede access to specific collections and types of material (versus 12% that say it wouldn’t). Missing form subdivisions disproportionately impact vulnerable library patrons, including children and socioeconomically challenged communities, who may lack search skills or public catalogs with robust genre display/search options. * 60% of public catalogs lack a dedicated search genre/form search option, so patrons could not search by form as they could by title, author, or subject. 42% of public catalogs lack dedicated genre/form facets for filtering search results, so patrons would be unable to narrow a topic by form if $v were omitted. * 55% of survey respondents were unaware that LC planned to omit form subdivisions, indicating a lack of adequate outreach and input-gathering from LC. Percentages are higher in certain library types. * 71% of respondents to question 3.8 oppose $v omission, whereas only 14% support it. * Requiring libraries to individually add $v information or configure catalogs disproportionately impacts lesser-resourced libraries, who are least likely to have time, knowledge or resources. 67% of libraries have no time and/or knowledge to add form subdivisions into their catalogs individually for all records that might require them. 55% of libraries cannot or are unsure of their ability to change their public catalog indexes and/or display if needed. In light of these findings and more, the Working Group’s top recommendations are that the Library of Congress: * continue providing form subdivisions in all applicable subject strings included in bibliographic records shared with other libraries, as a public service for library patrons and less-resourced institutions; * continue accepting proposals for new form subdivisions to allow growth for continued patron benefit and to maintain data interoperability between libraries; * retain all authority records containing form subdivisions and all Library of Congress Subject Headings Manual documentation pertaining to their use; * and commit to broad-based outreach regarding all future vocabulary decisions to allow all of the library community to participate in decision-making related to changes that impact them and their patrons. The Working Group requests that our colleagues read the report and consider supporting the Group’s recommendations. Given the centrality of user needs fulfillment and equitable access to the library profession, it is imperative for us all to support the most vulnerable libraries and their patrons, and oppose changes that leave these communities behind. Organizations wishing to endorse the recommendations can do so via this form: https://forms.gle/XwmvnfCQ7TkriRky7, or by contacting Group chair Deborah Tomaras at Deborah.Tomaras(a)marist.edu<mailto:Deborah.Tomaras@marist.edu>. Thank you for your time and consideration. Ngā mihi nui, Tali Boardman (She/Her) Library Specialist- Cataloguing Library Specialist- Cataloguing Kaiwhakarārangi Puka Libraries, Community Spaces & Archives | Wellington City Council Whare Pukapuka me ngā Wāhi Pāpori | Te Kaunihera o Pōneke Ph: 04-830 8311 E: tali.boardman(a)wcc.govt.nz<mailto:karl.tilley@wcc.govt.nz> | W wcl.govt.nz<http://www.wcl.govt.nz/>

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Response to the Library of Congress' Genre/Form Subdivisions Announcement
by Joanne Rowan 11 Jan '26

11 Jan '26

[Please forgive cross-posting] Dear colleagues: The Library of Congress has, as of yesterday, circulated an announcement<https://www.loc.gov/aba/cataloging/subject/form-announcement.pdf> and an FAQ<https://www.loc.gov/aba/cataloging/subject/formfaq.pdf> about discontinuing the use of $v (form subdivisions) in new cataloging. In the interest of transparency, it should be known that questions in the FAQ were taken, largely verbatim, from a set prepared by the ALA Subject Analysis Committee's Working Group on $v Retention, endorsed by multiple library organizations, and sent to the Library of Congress on September 15, 2025. The complete set of questions and signatories can be seen here<https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/docs.google.com/document/d/1Xh_J1qQ3ACnV…>. While we are glad that the Library of Congress responded to our questions, it is disappointing that the answers were not provided before a final decision on $v was made, and before the library community, which has a substantial stake in the development and usage of Library of Congress vocabularies, could fully understand the implications of this change and weigh in. Further, the answers provided within the announcement and FAQ raise further questions. We urge our colleagues to carefully scrutinize the information in those documents: * no future development of $v allowed (i.e., no possibility of $v Young adult fiction, or $v Kits, or anything else the community still using $v might feel necessary and useful) * the potential "modification" (i.e., removal?) of $v in already existing authority records * no guarantee of retention of either documentation or authorities related to $v long-term * no planned replacement of incredibly popular audience-inclusive $v (e.g., for children's and YA materials) with LCGFT alternatives * no consultation with the library community about which $v will receive LCGFT alternatives or in what form * undercutting of search and display functionality currently existent in a majority of libraries, in favor of fields and functions (655, and particularly 3XX) largely unavailable in library catalogs for post-coordinated searching at this time, and potentially unable to be implemented in the future * scant acknowledgment of the impact on patrons of the lack of "high-level consistency for many terms" in library catalogs, particularly for historic records lacking LCGFT and/or LCDGT * and so on The Working Group has been assessing the ramifications of the discontinuation of $v on library collections, catalogs, services, and—most importantly—library patrons. We are currently drafting our report, including results of a librarian survey which garnered 699 responses across all library types (academic, public, school, tribal, special, governmental, consortial, etc.), and from several countries. We intend to circulate the report widely when completed, hopefully by the end of January, and we hope that the library community and particularly its member organizations will consider our evidence and recommendations. We respectfully request that the Library of Congress delay implementing this change and finalizing a decision on $v before the release of the report, and the gathering of input and addressing of concerns from the library community. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Deborah Tomaras, chair of ALA SAC Working Group on $v Retention Deborah Tomaras (she/her) Metadata and Resource Management Librarian James A. Cannavino Library, Marist University 3399 North Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 Office: 845-575-2408 | Deborah.Tomaras(a)marist.edu<mailto:Deborah.Tomaras@marist.edu> [cid:image002.png@01DC83A8.98324D10]

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CatSIG Catapult December 2025 issue available
by Hazel L 07 Jan '26

07 Jan '26

Kia ora koutou, I hope everyone enjoyed their holidays and had a good break. The December issue of Catapult is now available and attached. Kia maiea tō rā, Hazel Loughrey Catapult editor

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Cataloguing Manager at Wheelers
by Joanne Rowan 06 Jan '26

06 Jan '26

Wheelers Books are seeking a full-time Cataloguing Manager to join their team based in our Glenfield office on Auckland’s North Shore. At Wheelers Books, we believe in the uplifting power of books to enrich lives. As a long-established and growing company with offices in Auckland and Sydney, we are a leading supplier to libraries and schools across Australasia, providing a complete self-ready service to our customers throughout New Zealand. We are seeking a full-time Cataloguing Manager to join our team based in our Glenfield office on Auckland’s North Shore. Working alongside our Selection/Acquisitions and Processing teams, you will provide critical operational support to our clients in New Zealand and Australia. In this pivotal role, you will lead the daily workflow of the cataloguing team, ensuring all books are catalogued efficiently, on time, and within budget. You will need a relevant library qualification, experience managing a team, and a customer-focused mindset. You will have a background in library management, where you have utilised excellent cataloguing skills in a high-service environment. We are looking for a leader who embodies our values of Integrity (Tautoko), Collaboration (Mahitahi), Community (Whanaungatanga), and Sustainability (Kaitiakitanga). We welcome applications from those with the following skills and attributes: * Substantial experience as a practising cataloguer * A library qualification or equivalent is essential for this role. * Effective people management skills with the ability to mentor, coach, and support a team. * The ability to think strategically, be logical, and drive outcomes according to plans. * Excellent verbal and written communication skills to facilitate workflow between departments. * A strong drive for excellence in service delivery to libraries and schools. * Strong problem-solving and computer skills to optimise team and resource utilisation. * Self-motivated, pragmatic, and adaptable to change. You will be joining a supportive, purpose-driven team where you can make a real impact. We are passionate about supporting literacy and providing schools and libraries with access to quality resources. Check out the job description here.<https://www.lianza.org.nz/professional-development/vacancies/cataloguing-ma…> Contact email: If you have any questions, please contact Emily Rogers (HR Manager) emilyr(a)wheelers.co.nz Applications close: 7 January 2026 Link to apply: https://www.seek.co.nz/job/89133918 Ngā mihi nui, Joanne Rowan CatSIG convenor [signature_1301701140] Scholarly Content Team Te Kahu Tauira | Student and Scholarly Services Waipapa Taumata Rau | The University of Auckland A General Library, Bldg 109, 5 Alfred Street, Auckland, 1010, New Zealand P Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand W www.library.auckland.ac.nz<http://www.library.auckland.ac.nz/> E librarycollections(a)auckland.ac.nz [cid:4832b00c-8983-4128-a609-926183838e17]

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Call for content: December issue of Catapult
by Hazel L 03 Dec '25

03 Dec '25

Kia ora koutou, Worked on an interesting project lately? It's that time again: Catapult is seeking cataloguing related content for December's issue, and a cataloguer to profile. Please email me or the catsig committee with your submission (or any questions) by the 20th of December. Kia pai tō ra, Hazel Loughrey Catapult editor

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RDA news and request for feedback on upcoming proposals and discussion paper
by Bridget Jennings 25 Nov '25

25 Nov '25

Kia ora koutou, Apologies for cross-posting. The Extent Working Group of the RDA Steering Committee (RSC) has submitted several proposal papers for describing extent (including dimensions, containers etc.) in Official RDA. These are now available for reading and responding to. Please let me know if you have any comments to make on these and I can forward on to Jack. Additionally have a look at the discussion paper on soft-deprecated elements (soft-deprecated = marked for potential obsolescence). Again, let me know if you have any comments on this. Ngā mihi nui, Bridget CatSIG Representative on ORDAC From: rdaoceania-request(a)nla.gov.au <rdaoceania-request(a)nla.gov.au> On Behalf Of Jack Ennis Butler Sent: Friday, 21 November 2025 12:53 pm To: rdaoceania(a)nla.gov.au Subject: [rdaoceania] RDA news and request for feedback on upcoming proposals and discussion paper Hi everybody, I would like to bring your attention to a number of proposals and a discussion paper that were introduced at the last RSC session: The proposals from the Extent Working Group are significant and I highly recommend reading through in detail. Full details are available here: Ready for Feedback: Proposals from the Extent Working Group | ALA RDA Toolkit<https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/extentWGproposals> The discussion paper looks at soft-deprecated parallel elements (eg parallel title proper, parallel statement of responsibility relating to title proper). It also discusses approaches that do not use these elements such as implementation undertaken at the National Library of New Zealand and the MARC2RDA project. Details are available here: Discussion Paper on Soft-Deprecated Terms Out for Community Review | ALA RDA Toolkit<https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/technicalwg20251> These will be discussed at the January meeting. To allow time for ORDAC to finalise our response, it would be much appreciated if all feedback could be sent through to me (jack(a)rdatoolkit.org<mailto:jack@rdatoolkit.org>) before Monday 5 January. More news relating to RDA is available at the RSC news page including links to Aimee Hay's presentation at the last RSC public session NSLA Official RDA Project. Please don't hesitate to get in contact if you have any questions. Kind regards, Jack Ennis Butler Oceania region representative to the RDA Steering Committee

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Fw: Webinar: LIANZA Cataloguing Special Interest Group - November 2025
by Joanne Rowan 29 Oct '25

29 Oct '25

Apologies for cross-posting. Discussion Forum on Systems - Comparing notes on LMS's Having trouble viewing this email? View in browser.<https://u26611046.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.mZktG25qDBdyoH-2FtEL1Bv…> [LIANZA letterhead]<https://u26611046.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.ZVemhACcKg06lp92zKDtdET…> [https://swiftfoxprod.blob.core.windows.net/lianza-public/SIgzGfkyeqBdoOwFbA…] WEBINAR: LIANZA CATALOGUING SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP Discussion Forum on Systems - Comparing notes on LMS's Tuesday November 25 2025 10.00-11.00AM Please come along to discuss the issues you’re experiencing with your OPAC or Discovery layer. Discussion topics include: - How LMS providers are responding to changes in cataloguing practices - How OPACs and Discovery layers handle authority metadata - if they do at all - How your system represents work instances - What LMS vendors are doing (or not doing) to support Official RDA changes - Whether and how OPACs/Discovery layers engage with linked data REGISTER HERE<https://u26611046.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.mZktG25qDBdyoH-2FtEL1Bv…> Ngā mihi, Te Rau Herenga O Aotearoa LIANZA Office PO Box 37-170, Lower Hutt 5141 www.lianza.org.nz<https://u26611046.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=u001.mZktG25qDBdyoH-2FtEL1Bv…> officeadmin(a)lianza.org.nz<mailto:officeadmin@lianza.org.nz>

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Practical training for Official RDA - new NLNZ resources released
by Joanne Rowan 21 Oct '25

21 Oct '25

Kia ora koutou The latest release of our practical training resources in Official RDA is now available through Niche Academy. https://my.nicheacademy.com/natlib.gov.nz The tutorials in this release are: * Amalgamations * Cartographic resources (draft) The Amalgamations tutorial is part of our core practical training. It covers amalgamations that are a seamless mix of still image and text. The Cartographic resources tutorial is a draft and is missing several lessons which we plan to add after the next Toolkit release in February 2026. We have released this tutorial as a draft as we are aware that some libraries are well on the way to implementing Official RDA and may be interested in our thinking for describing this type of resource. As there are now a large number of tutorials they have been arranged in three categories. Training in the first category covers basic concepts. The second category is foundational practical training and assumes a good understanding of the concepts covered in the first category. Training in the third category covers optional additional formats. These are format-specific tutorials aimed at cataloguers already describing these types of resources and assume you have completed the training in the first and second categories so have a good knowledge of Official RDA. Please contact nznb(a)dia.govt.nz<mailto:nznb@dia.govt.nz> if you have questions about our training materials, or just want to talk about RDA. Ngā mihi Teresa Teresa Preston | Metadata Services Team Leader (Team 2) National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa Direct Dial: +64 4 462 3976 | www.natlib.govt.nz<http://www.natlib.govt.nz/> National Library of New Zealand is part of the Department of Internal Affairs [Logo-test]

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FW: [rdaoceania] Three proposals for November RDA Steering Committee meeting
by Bridget Jennings 14 Oct '25

14 Oct '25

Kia ora koutou, Apologies for cross-posting. If you would like to offer any feedback on the proposals below, I would also be happy to receive it to pass on to Jack before Friday 31 October. I’m also happy to field questions. Ngā mihi, Bridget Jennings CatSIG Representative on ORDAC From: rdaoceania-request(a)nla.gov.au <rdaoceania-request(a)nla.gov.au> On Behalf Of Jack Ennis Butler Sent: Wednesday, 15 October 2025 11:28 am To: rdaoceania(a)nla.gov.au Subject: [rdaoceania] Three proposals for November RDA Steering Committee meeting Hi everyone, I'd like to draw your attention to three proposals to be discussed at the upcoming November RSC meeting. It would be wonderful to have any feedback sent to jack(a)rdatoolkit.org<mailto:jack@rdatoolkit.org> by Friday 31 October to allow me time to prepare the Oceania response. 1. RSC/ReligionsWG/2025/1 Title: Proposal to Revise Name of Corporate Body Document Number: RSC/ReligionsWG/2025/1 Author/Constituency: Prepared by the Religions Working Group Document Type: Proposal Link: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/religionswg20251 2. RSC/NARDAC/2025/4 Title: Scope note for Corporate Body Document Number: RSC/NARDAC/2025/4 Author/Constituency: Prepared by NARDAC (North American RDA Committee) Document Type: Proposal Link: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/nardac20254 3. RSC/NARDAC/2025/3 Title: Inconsistency in the transcribed manifestation elements related to source of information Document Number: RSC/NARDAC/2025/3 Author/Constituency: Prepared by NARDAC (North American RDA Committee) Document Type: Proposal Link: https://www.rdatoolkit.org/rsc/nardac20253 Let me know if you have any questions or would like any clarification. Please circulate to your networks as appropriate. Kind regards, Jack Ennis Butler, Oceania region representative to the RDA Steering Committee

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FW: Cataloguing community survey
by Bridget Jennings 05 Oct '25

05 Oct '25

Kia ora koutou, Just a quick reminder message from the CatSIG committee that the survey on a New Zealand-based cataloguing paper closes next week on 15 October (thank you if you have already filled it in!). Please feel free to pass the link on to your cataloguing and cataloguing-adjacent colleagues to fill in too. Ngā mihi nui, Bridget Bridget Jennings Wellington City Libraries From: LIANZA <lianza(a)wildapricot.org> Sent: Wednesday, 17 September 2025 3:51 pm To: Bridget Jennings <bridget.jennings(a)wcc.govt.nz> Subject: Cataloguing community survey [https://lianza.wildapricot.org/resources/Pictures/LIANZA%20Korero%20MC%20Ba…] Kia ora Bridget, CatSIG Survey on New Zealand-based cataloguing paper LIANZA CatSIG recently held a discussion about professional development and education opportunities in New Zealand. To follow up on this, the committee is doing further work investigating the need for a New Zealand-based academic paper. If you are a cataloguer (full or part-time), a manager who oversees cataloguing in your role, or you are interested in cataloguing, we would appreciate it if you could complete this short survey. Please take this short survey here. <https://lianza.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipie…> Ngā mihi, Te Rau Herenga O Aotearoa LIANZA Office This message was sent to you by LIANZA. If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe<https://lianza.wildapricot.org/Sys/Admin/EmailEditor/cc95e7b7276a473eb6192b…> at any time Po Box 37-170, Lower Hutt 5141 https://lianza.wildapricot.org/<https://lianza.wildapricot.org/Sys/Admin/EmailEditor/cc95e7b7276a473eb6192b…> Unsubscribe<https://lianza.wildapricot.org/Sys/Unsubscribe?et=EMu%2bW6OJZ3FQI0OrUpj%2bc…>

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